In many science courses, concepts often are taught as separated items. As a result, students often have difficulties connecting concepts, applying concepts and seeing the big picture. In this workshop, we will demonstrate how you can use case studies to assist students in making those connections. Using case studies can lead to a better understanding of how concepts can be applied to solve current complex ecological issues. Many science instructors are unfamiliar with case studies, but they have long been used to teach post-secondary business, medicine and law. When using case studies, students work in groups to answer a set of questions culminating with a larger problem where students have to make connections, draw conclusions, make decisions and give recommendations based on the data given. Students practice critical thinking, collaborating with peers, applying concepts to real-life situations, and transferring knowledge from one situation to another. These are some of the most important goals of many courses, but few change their teaching from a teacher-centered style that is heavily focused on lecturing to a student-centered style that uses case studies. In this workshop we will discuss what makes a good case study, the benefits of using them in the classroom, how to design them, how to effectively use them and available resources. We ask participants to bring their own ideas on how case studies could be used in their courses and share their experience if they have used case studies in the past. Lunch will not be served, bring your own lunch!